[Baquette]

Can someone please summarize the main points on how magic changed in SR? Drain codes, direct combat spells, old spell favorites like invisibility or levitation, power foci, abilities and services of spirits, metamagic etc?

I am not asking about writing down the entire chapter, just some core changes / points.

MfG

[jamesfirecat]

Direct combat spells now only do damage equal to net hits.

So no more "stunbolt/stunball for force eight, roll six hits, help yourself to a a nice 14 or so points of stun and call me in the morning when you wake up."

Drain is no longer first aid-able it has to heal naturally not even medkits can help.

Indirect Combat spells do force + net hits damage if they connect with AP equal to the force you cast at but can be dodged like bullets/guns..


That's the simple stuff that every runner mage or not should know.

[r4nd0m]

Direct combat spells now only do damage equal to net hits.

I've heard that they either can't be dodged or can't be soaked...  is either of those true?

[jamesfirecat]

Direct combat spells now only do damage equal to net hits.

I've heard that they either can't be dodged or can't be soaked...  is either of those true?

They can not be dodged, just like they could not be dodged in fourth.  You can soak some of the damage but your pool for it is very small like just willpower and body or maybe willpower and logic... Can not recall off top of my head.

[Michael Chandra]

So either safe small damage, or risky big armor-resistance damage.

[jamesfirecat]

So either safe small damage, or risky big armor-resistance damage.

Big armor resisted damage, but yes.

[Baquette]

What about drain?

SYL

[StarManta]

Drain is now based on F rather than F/2, and the values have been adjusted accordingly, but otherwise works pretty much the same way.

Direct combat spells (somewhat) reliably do a little damage, while indirect combat spells unreliably do tons of damage.

Direct: Spellcasting+MAG vs either BOD or WIL(+Counterspelling). Only net hits deal damage, but it is not resisted any further. (The Force is only a limit in this case.)

Indirect: Spellcasting+MAG vs REA+INT(+Counterspelling). You deal Force+net hits damage, resisted by BOD+Armor and at an AP of (-Force).

[Baquette]

Can you give some drain examples? Like stunbolt, fireball, levitation, invisibility?

MfG

[Bull]

Direct Spells:

Spellcasting + Magic [Force] to cast. DV is equal to Hits.  It's resisted with just Willpower or Body.

Indirect Spells:

Singe Target Indirect Spells are cast using Spellcasting + Magic [Force] vs Reaction + Intuition. Net hits by the caster add to DV, more hits by defender lead to a miss and no damage.

Area Indirect spells are like grenades, in that they are targeted at a location rather than a person, and require a Spellcasting + Magic [Force] (3) test or they scatter. Hits above 3 add to DV and hit everything in the area.

Spell damage is resisted by Body + Armor, with an AP modifier equal to the Force of the Spell. Armor Mods such as non-conductivity add their rating to the armor to resist their damage type.

So yes, a Direct Combat spell will often do less damage. But it's also a much more sure thing, and is less likely to be resisted.

Indirect Spells can be dodged or have a chance to scatter, are resisted by more dice, and can even have specialized armor to add even more damage resistance.

[Michael Chandra]

Huh. I really want to read the exact rules on grenades and indirect area spells, to see their exact functioning. Can't wait until I have the rules and know enough to voice concerns.

[Shinobi Killfist]

I am curious on the drain now that you can't first aid it.  F+or- mods is a wide range of drain. How much does elemental effect add drain wise, we've seen the elemental effects are they do add a bonus, but if that drain is going to sit with me for hours every +1 drain is a huge liability. And yes, yes risk/reward, but the question is more leaning towards are the drain risks balanced with the spell effects rewards.

[Mara]

OK, I am curious to the people with the book from Origins:

What are the different Traditions in the core book? Still just Hermetic and Shaman? Or are there more?
What are the effects of Totems/Mentor Spirits? What are the effects of the Traditions, themselves?

[Glyph]

Indirect Spells:

Singe Target Indirect Spells are cast using Spellcasting + Magic [Force] vs Reaction + Intuition. Net hits by the caster add to DV, more hits by defender lead to a miss and no damage.

Have they changed ranged combat defense (it is just Reaction for passive defense in SR4), or is this specific to indirect spells?

[StarManta]

Have they changed ranged combat defense (it is just Reaction for passive defense in SR4), or is this specific to indirect spells?

It's changed. Your standard, automatic Defense roll is REA+INT.

It seems to be part of the whole rebalancing and streamlining of combat, along with increased DV  for weapons, and Armor ratings. In practice, it seems you will hit your targets less often than in 4th, but you'll do more damage when you do. That means that at the table you will tend to spend less time calculating damage dealt, which speeds up combat by quite a bit.